KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 — Bursa Malaysia closed broadly lower today as continuous weak market sentiment curbed investors risk appetite, with selling mostly spotted in small-capitalisation stocks and heavyweights.

The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) closed 0.98 of-a-point easier at 1,819.66 from Wednesday’s close of 1,820.64.

Moving in a choppy pattern, the key index fluctuated between 1,817.83 and 1,823.24 throughout the day amid mixed performance in Asian markets.

The decline in Bursa Malaysia was marginal compared to its regional peers, thanks to gains in Hong Leong-related stocks, but losses in heavyweights Telekom Malaysia, Petronas Chemicals and MISC dragged the composite index down.

“Mild bargain hunting emerged among the blue chips during the afternoon session, but it only lasted for few minutes before sending the key index back into negative territory.

“Sentiment in the market was clouded by investors’ cautious mode due to the trade spat between US and China with tariffs scheduled for next week hurting outlook for global trade despite the US-Mexico deal,” a dealer told Bernama, adding the corporate earnings season which ended today also weighed on sentiment .

Regionally, the Singapore Straits Times Index fell 0.56 per cent to 3,225.72, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index declined 0.89 per cent to 28,164.05, Shanghai Stock Exchange dropped 1.14 per cent to 2,737.74, but Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.09 per cent to 22,869.5.

Back home, the overall market breadth was weaker with losers trouncing gainers 685 to 299, with 350 counters unchanged, 585 untraded and 68 others suspended.

Volume eased to 2.63 billion units worth RM2.96 billion from Wednesday’s 2.69 billion units worth RM2.63 billion.

Of the heavyweights, Tenaga eased two sen to RM15.68, Petronas Chemicals lost 11 sen to RM9.46, while CIMB was flat at RM6.09.

Shares of Southeast Asia’s fourth-largest bank by assets, Maybank, slipped four sen to RM9.96 with 10.07 million shares changing hands despite reporting a strong second-quarter results ended June 30, 2018, which saw its net profit surge 18.12 per cent to RM1.96 billion during the quarter.

Public Bank, however, rose eight sen to RM25.12.

Among actives, Hibiscus gave up 14 sen for 96 sen, Sapura Energy slipped one sen to 34 sen, Borneo Oil inched down half-a-sen to 5.5 sen, but My E.G added one sen to RM1.49.

The FBM Emas Index was 34.30 points lower at 12,719.42, the FBMT 100 Index eased 23.07 points to 12,526.43, the FBM Emas Shariah Index erased 61.43 points to 12,807.07, the FBM 70 lost 89.48 points at 15,126.05, and the FBM Ace Index decreased 61.75 points to 5,283.71.

Sector-wise, the Finance Index rose 19.22 points to 17,964.97, the Plantation Index gained 4.78 points to 7,577.58, but the Industrial Index trimmed 13.50 points to 3,221.96.

Main Market volume widened slightly to 1.79 billion shares worth RM2.76 billion from 1.74 billion shares worth RM2.46 billion recorded on Wednesday.

Warrants turnover rose to 483.96 million units worth RM117.22 million against 386.29 million units worth RM85.82 million.

Volume on the ACE Market shrank to 353.44 million shares worth RM76.55 million versus yesterday’s 558.44 million shares worth RM78.49 million.

Consumer products accounted for 90.9 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products (452.75 million), construction (80.8 million), trade and services (792.52 million), technology (106.38 million), infrastructure (13.86 million), SPAC (11,000), finance (95.05 million), hotels (152,300), properties (121.28 million), plantations (32.98 million), mining (47,600), REITs (6.76 million) and closed/fund (12,100).

The FBM Emas Index was 34.30 points lower at 12,719.42, the FBMT 100 Index eased 23.07 points to 12,526.43, the FBM Emas Shariah Index erased 61.43 points to 12,807.07, the FBM 70 lost 89.48 points at 15,126.05, and the FBM Ace Index decreased 61.75 points to 5,283.71.

Sector-wise, the Finance Index rose 19.22 points to 17,964.97, the Plantation Index gained 4.78 points to 7,577.58, but the Industrial Index trimmed 13.50 points to 3,221.96.

Main Market volume widened slightly to 1.79 billion shares worth RM2.76 billion from 1.74 billion shares worth RM2.46 billion recorded on Wednesday.

Warrants turnover rose to 483.96 million units worth RM117.22 million against 386.29 million units worth RM85.82 million.

Volume on the ACE Market shrank to 353.44 million shares worth RM76.55 million versus yesterday’s 558.44 million shares worth RM78.49 million.

Consumer products accounted for 90.9 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products (452.75 million), construction (80.8 million), trade and services (792.52 million), technology (106.38 million), infrastructure (13.86 million), SPAC (11,000), finance (95.05 million), hotels (152,300), properties (121.28 million), plantations (32.98 million), mining (47,600), REITs (6.76 million) and closed/fund (12,100).

Bursa Malaysia and its subsidiaries will be closed tomorrow for National Day. — Bernama